This invention relates to a kneading and/or mixing machine for dough, foodstuff or similar materials.
In a known prior art apparatus of this type, for example Federal Republic of Germany DE-AS No. 24 21 720, a closure body consists of a guiding part disposed in the central area above the bottom of a vat. The purpose of the closure body is to guide the mass of the material to be worked on radially outwardly into the working area of the working tool. This guiding part is fastened to the lower end of a lifting rod which is capable of moving it from a lower closure position, where its lower side abuts the vat bottom while rotating with it, into an upper open position where the guiding part frees the central bottom aperture in the vat bottom. To that bottom aperture, there is connected a downwardly extending pipe limiting an efflux channel in which a driven delivery worm rotates. The delivery worm protrudes with its upper end over the plane of the vat bottom and this upper end is accepted by the guiding part in a central aperture which is open in the downward direction, while the guiding part is in its closed position.
Such an arrangement of the delivery device is comparatively complicated and expensive. Cleaning of the components of the delivery device is also time consuming and difficult. The delivery process is not only quite time consuming but is particularly associated with an undesirable impact upon the product to be delivered which might impede its further processing. Thus mainly doughs which are compacted undesirably by the action of the worm are considerably deteriorated as far as baking of the dough is considered. This also basically applies to other materials to be mixed, for example salads, sausage meats, etc., which lose their juices when compacted during delivery or may lose other important qualities.
An object of the present invention is to provide a kneading and/or mixing machine which has a simple construction and results in a delivery free of undesirable influences upon the final product or material.
The machine according to the present invention provides a simple manner of delivery defined by a simple efflux or dropping-out of the finally worked-up contents of the vat. These contents may be caught by a container disposed under the bottom aperture of the vat and provided more of less close to it or it may fall upon a conveyor belt and be conveyed away from the vat. Thus the goods to be delivered do not experience any change of direction and no compacting which might change its properties.
Other features which are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described in relationship to specific embodiments, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.